Friday, January 28, 2011

Seek & Find: Will you visit J.Crew this Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale items at our various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If you are stopping by a J.Crew store this weekend to see what's available (if anything!) in theHOLIDAY sale, or to see some newSPRING arrivals {sigh!} in person, maybe you might be willing to share that with us in this post. In particular, if you could share with us a few of the noteworthy items that are available, at what prices, and potential sizes the store is carrying (as well as the store location)- that would be fantastic!

Also, please let us know if your local store is carrying an additional percent off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

P.S. I noticed that many of you have already been reporting sale items (and in which stores) in other posts which by the way "thank you!" :) I really appreciate how helpful we are for each other!

I will visit J. Crew this weekend. But not to buy anything. It will be to return an item which they sent in the wrong size and a beautiful cashmere sweater with a stain right on the front. I'm so upset. I've been waiting for that sweater forever.

I probably won't go to the J. Crew B&M for a long time. I am quite uninspired by the recent rollout. No point going when I know there is nothing I'm interested in buying. My spring wardrobe will be coming from other stores this year, a first for me.

I went yesterday (for the first time in over a month) to check out the new arrivals. Although the pieces looked very cute styled on the mannequins (I especially liked a yellow Jackie styled over the navy blue drapey striped tank), I was disappointed at how incredibly cheap much of the merchandise felt. Almost all of the perfect shirts were paper-thin and see-through, and the knit blends with linen already felt a little 'nubbier' than I would expect for something right out of the box. I'm not confident that these clothes would survive multiple wearings, or a wash. They can't even stand up to being on a hanger in the store for too long.

However, the luxe baseball tee was thicker than I expected, and overall the colors were great and very springy. I'd like to hear what JCA's think of the new pieces - the new arrivals post went OT with the additional day of 40% craziness.

Like Desert Flower, I'll likely be shopping elsewhere this spring (another first). There are still a few things I'd like to see IRL, but given the way the store pieces look, I'm not optimistic. It's unfortunate, because if the construction was better I'd purchase - the styling and design are overall, appealing to me.

I waited for a blazer to go on sale that I wanted forever and could not afford a few years ago. It finally popped back in my size and arrived with a dirty cuff and stained elbow. I feel for you. I wanted that blazer so much and still think about it when I look back at my old catalogs!

Like Desert Flower, silver_lining and Elaine I will be shopping other stores for the majority of my wardrobe but unlike others that is not new for me. I love local boutiques and brands like Free People, Kersh and Velvet. Their clothes are pretty, feminine and well-made. Throw in a few designer pieces and then I'll come to J.crew for the basics like pencil skirts, Jackie twinsets and chinos plus a few other cute things like the maritime dress and gingham shorts.

As for the new arrivals, I alerady ordered the denim high-heel oxfords, which appear to be sold out already, the maritime dress and the gingham shorts for an upcoming vacation. I'm considering the lace-stripe tee and a Jackie twinset or two in the new spring colors.

I don't know if every B & M will do this--but I asked the SA if I could get 3 items in the store with the "40%" off online promo. discount and the guy said yes-absolutely! These items were NOT EVEN marked down in the STORE-they looked up the sale price and then from that took off 40%!!! I was pleased to say the least!

Hey JCrewLove... Gigi's review is here if you're curious about the skirt (plus that's where I put my notes on it!)

I'm going to the store this weekend, maybe, to return the Painter cardigan I got on promo -- the lavender wasn't a good shade for me, although I do like the cardigan itself. Good length, light weight and smooth. I got XS, which I think is now officially 'my true J Crew Size' and like the fit, although it could be skinny-arms-syndrome, but seems like maybe it would relax/stretch because it's cotton?

I always play the field and mix and match… Ralph understands my bottom, Donna understands my neck and shoulders, the Rugby team understands my need for dependable plaids (I had an SA call all over for a long skirt for me this Christmas and when I thanked her she said "Oh, this was fun!") -- Missoni understands my need for reliable sweaters that fold up to nothing for travel, and all of the crowd have wonderful wonderful sales and send INVITATIONS and ADVANCE NOTICES and DISCOUNTS.

J.Crew has had the role of dependable old friend with benefits… not so much any more. It's been a long strange year. I've ordered more from the website because I've found the stores depressing a lot of the time, and then I started to find the website, um, not depressing exactly, more like one of those pop-ups that tell you if you catch the little chicken you'll win a trip to Hawaii only you can't catch it?…

I know, however, that amid all the dross and JCr@p, there will always be one or two things that I will HAVE to have, and that I will dredge up the strength to chase down and possess. In the right size. In the right color. In the right condition. I know this because among my non-clothing Christmas gifts was a small STATUE of Diana (Artemis) Goddess of the Hunt, and she now lives next to the computer and I pour her a small libation before going to the JC site.

I just stopped by my local factory store. I was disgusted that they are peddling shoes there. Ballet flats that are knockoffs of past and current styles from retail, made of extremely cheap looking materials. Particularly egrigious was the price: $78!!!! These are some terrible cheap looking shoes comparable to what they sell at payless, walmart, and some of the cheaper styles from target. I would pay maybe $15 for them if I was desperate. J.crew seems to be getting cheaper and cheaper with their quality!

If anyone goes and sees the new Jackie twinset in sweet hyacinth and can comment on whether it is the same as last year's hyacinth color I would appreciate it. I have last year's but it's so pastel, I would love it in a more vibrant version. Maybe I should be looking at the vibrant orchid but it's so hard to tell on my monitor.

Can anyone report on Crewcuts for this spring? I want to pick up some tees and beach clothes (for my son) for a trip coming up, and I need to order online. My concern is the quality--the tees I purchased last summer completely disintegrated. Has the quality improved? Are they thicker? Thank you so much, if anyone can be "eyes" for me in the Crewcut section. Cheers!

If anyone sees the Lace-stripe tee in the stores, please report back with your opinion. How is the quality and fit? Is the buff color more pink or more beige? Is the hem curved or straight (shown differently between the colors online). Thanks for your help.

Pathos: I highly recommend Olive Juice Kids for tees and shirts for boys. The styles are very cute but more classic than JC - more old school/retro. Occasionally, they have 30-50% off sales and they always have outlet items available with flat $7 shipping. The best part is that the quality is fantastic; they last forever! Items do run a little small, so ordering up may be good if you plan on drying them in the dryer or keeping them for over a season.

I still like the graphic tees from JC for hot summer days (specifically because they are thin!), but I haven't seen them much thicker this season. Rogue's Gallery items seem a little thicker when compared to standard tees...

Due to work obligations, no weekend trips up to the B&M for me for the next couple of months. Anyway, I'm not feeling very inspired by the new stuff. JC suiting dresses are a staple for me and I like the look of the Accordion suiting dress, but am put off by the ambiguous "falls above the knee" description that seems to attach to all the suiting dresses.

I just received my second $25 rewards card for 2010. Hard to believe my spending at JC last year barely cracked $1000 given that it had to be at least four times that from 2007-2009. (That doesn't count old-school stuff purchased on eBay, LOL.)

I still check the site (and JCA!) regularly, and as WFF says, I know at least a couple of times a year they'll make that knock-out item I MUST have. But, alas, JC, we've grown apart.

If you're looking for a tan arrow cardigan in XL, call Charleston, SC, as they had one as of noon. :)

I LOVE the retro shell! The pink is a perfect pink and the top is adorable and flattering. I want this in white, too. TTS although if you're smaller chested you may be able to size down. Love the downtown skinny, but they were not promo'd in store, although every other jean (except white) was. If I'd known they were discounted online, I would have tried for a price match. Also tried, loved, and bought the striped back -button top in neon pink. Size down. Liked the sriped sequin tee, but I have last year's similar in charcoal, can't wear the pale gray or nude color and have 3 navy tees already. Like the military jacket that's in stores. Very cute and flattering. Size down. Also tried on the lighthouse cardi and it's too grandpa on me. Maybe if I'd tried it on with a super feminine top it would have worked, but I'll pass.

Not much sale left. Still 50% off, but today is it's last day in stores. So get out or call if there's something you're looking for.

I am interested in a bunch of the new stuff, so I stopped by a couple of the NYC stores. But I am so frustrated -- the stores seem practically empty!! Very little actual clothing....just a lot of empty space. I don't know what the deal is but I am certainly not ordering anything until I can try it on.

Fabulous Florida Mommy, I bought the small. The x-small fit except for under my arms. I guess I carry extra weight in my underarms? :) The xs also gaped more in the back. The small does too, so I won't wear it to school without a cardi or something under it. HTH

I went to the Jcrew store in Sacramento, CA at arden mall and there were like nothing left in the sale section: mostly Dulphine Cardigans, some cords, and a lot of the stripe tux tunics ( I actually got that one for just 10.88 after the 50 % off. ). I also saw a size 0 Starry night mini at 59.99 before the 50%.I took a look at the new items in the store but like others have noted, the quality is not there. There is a lot of knits and the materials are really cheap. Might as well go shop at Forever 21 for the knits!

Fabulous Florida Mommy, I don't remember that top from last year. I can tell you that it is more coral when placed next to the popsicle pink that the retro top comes in. But, when I held it next to my coral jackie from last year, it looked more pink. I also wouldn't call it neon, although it is bright. I'm sure that doesn't help at all! :D

Here's something funny: I had been wanting the cashmere hoodie in black but really couldn't justify spending $188 on an item that apparently pills (another JCA mentioned that this past week)...but I stopped into the store on North Michigan Ave. in Chicago today and considered buying the vintage slub cotton tee. But I wandered into Bloomingdale's first, where they are having this blow out, 50% off sale on almost everything in the store and lo, and behold: a black cashmere hoodie! Original price? $158. Purchase price? $35!!! And this wasn't the dregs, either. It was their Aqua brand, great condition. So, I guess I'll thank J.Crew this time for being located next to Bloomie's. Even if this one pills, I won't be upset since I saved myself $133!!! Oh, and as for Crew: I didn't see anything that wasn't overpriced in the store today. I like the v-neck tee but why do they have to charge $30 for it?

This is the first week in at least six months that I did not purchase anything from J. Crew. Feels weird but this in-between time doesn't really offer much that I want. I am hoping for much better choices in the "second wave" of spring... IIRC, that's the way things went last year.

Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

Incidentals

The following blog is just a forum for people to express their thoughts and opinions about J.Crew. Also, please note that most (if not all) of the images come from J.Crew's website and/ or catalog. Lastly, J.Crew is *not* affiliated with this site. :)